Soil grading and leveling device.



J. 8., FREW 81 -E. A. MWHS. sou emmenmu mums ounce.

APPLICATION FILED APRPB. i916.

m-flmmml Mama 1%. 26, mm.

JE7W@W%W5 77726 15%6M Edward a a As,

JAMES S. FREW AND EDWARIDA. LEWIS, 0F LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA.

SOIL GRADING AND LEVELING DEVICE.

astens.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2b, 191%.

Application filed April 3, 1916. Serial No. 88,642.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES S. Fnnw an EDWARD A. LEWIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Soil Grading and Leveling Devices, of Which the following is a specification.

My object is to make a scraper and leveler wholly pivotally mounted upon independent runners adapted to run both ways so as to increase the flexibility and ease of manipulation 1 The invention is illustrated in the accompa nying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view taken as looking into the device from the rear and shows it as adjusted for use as a leveler.

2 is a View of the device in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and shows the device in an intermediate position.

Reference being had to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings, 10 and 11 indicate a pair of spaced shoes or runners which constitute the running gear for the device, said runners being independent of each other. Superimposed thereon is a grading cant board 12 which is mounted at its ends upon pivot pins13 secured at the lower corners of the cantboard, engaging ears 14: extending upwardly from the runners, said runners being under the ends of the cant board. Rigidly secured along the lower edge of said cant board between the runners is a metal leveling blade 15 here shown as secured thereon by means of bolts 16 which pass through openings within the cant board. The cutting edge of the blade 15 is designed to project a short distance beyond the bearing faces of the runners when the cant board is positioned vertically, as shown in Fig. 3. I

The runners 10 and 11 are preferably cast iron shoes having straight central portions. slightly up-turned rear ends, and forward ends up-turned to a semi-circle. The ears 14 are formed integral with the runners substantially at their longitudinal centers and extend upwardly from the outer sides of the runners, so that the cant board will strike the up-turned ends of the runners when tipped forwardly or'backwardly far enough. Each runner may vibrate freely independent of. the other runner to the limits allowed by the upturned ends striking the cant board.

There is a great advantage inmounting the runners independently as shown and described, especially in rough work, where one runner may be going up hill and the other down hill at the same time.

The cant board is reinforced along its back by means of reinforcing straps 17 here shown as six in number and having formed upon the two central ones approximately mid-way of their length, bosses 18 to form pivot bearings. An operators platform 19 is pivotally secured to the rear of the cant board intermediate its ends and approxi mately mid-way between its longitudinal edges; the platform having its inner end pivoted to the bosses 18 and adapted to have its outer end 20 to rest and drag upon the ground. Draw chains 21 are connected to the cant board adjacent its outer ends on a plane between the pivotal connection of the cant board to the runners and the pivotal. connection of the platform.

Angular adjustment is afforded the grading cant board by means of adjusting mech anism 22 which allows the operator to optionally select the relation to be maintained between the cant board and the operators platform 19 and when the desired position is reached the cant board and the platform may be locked. This mechanism consists in a toothed segment 23 mounted approximately mid-way the length of the platform 19 and in the center thereof. A pivotal mounting 2a is secured at a point approximately adjacent the center of said segment and concentricv with its arc. Pivotally mounted upon a pin 25 is a cant board controlling lever 26 which extends upwardly and is provided with a pawl 27 adapted to engage the teeth 28 formed upon said segment. The pawl 27 is operated by means of a hand-grip 29 pivotally secured near the grip 30 upon the lever 26. Movement of the grip 29 causes a connection rod 31 to draw the pawl away from the segment and allow free movement of the lever. Connection from the lever to the cant board is had by means of a connecting rod 32 mounted at a point adjacent the pivotal bearing of the lever 26 and having its opposite end pivotally mounted within a bearin plate 33 secured near the upper edge of t e cant board and upon its back.

In the operation of the device, when it is desired to use our combination scraper and leveler for leveling soil, the grading cant driver operates the grip 29 upon the lever 26 releasing the pawl from the segment and allowing the lever to'be forced forward.

This in turn force the cant board into a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3. Upon continued forward movement of said lever 26 the grading cantboard will encounter the upturned portion 38'of the runners 10 and 11 and as the device is being drawn. by drawchains 21 secured to the gradingboard by means of Lbol'ts 1-0 the runner will-the lifted at its-rear edge from the ground and the weight of the device will bear upon arcuate face 41. of the runners. It will be seen that inthe event the driver stands upon the operating board or that sufiicient weight is placed thereon, the board 19 will remain in contact with the ground at its rear end -20 and irregularities in the soil will be smoothed out as the grading cant board encounters them. This is possible due to the fact that the cant board has new assumed'an angular position ahead of the runner and causes the dirt to pass beneath the leveling blade instead of forcing it ahead as was done in the leveling operation.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a combined leveler and scraping device which cant board-and adjacent the upper edge thereof, a lever pivotally mounted upon the platform, means whereby said lever may be locked in different positions, a connecting rod between the lever and the upper end of the cant board whereby the angle between the cant board and the platform may be varied, draw chains connected to the cant board and by which it and the platform may be pulled, runners pivotally mounted under the opposite ends of the cant board for supporting the cant board during operation, and arcuate'up-turned ends formed at the front of the runners against which the cant board may be swung and by which the blade may be supported in an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

JAMES S. FREVV. EDXVARD A. LEWVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, "Washington, no." 

